Background: George Jayne was a student at Fergusonville Academy in Fergusonville, NY.  Many of the students at the academy came from the New York City area.  It was thought that the isolation of Fergusonville would protect the children from corrupting influences such as drinking and gambling. George Jayne's family lived in Orange, NJ.  This letter is written to his sister.

Fergusonville Nov 4^th 1857

 Dear Charlotte

            I received your letter this morning. On Monday I wrote you a letter telling about my journey. My room-mate is a boy named Willie Jeens. His father keeps a clothing store in New-York. He is a very nice boy I like him very much there are two beds in the office room, that is Mr Olivers room I sleep in one and Mr Oliver in the other. We have a very nice stove. I pick up birch bark and split kindling-wood while willie splits the larger wood. We use birch bark instead of paper because it burns longer and has a hotter fire. I sit at Miss Arthurs table. At first I didn’t have my fork and spoon but now I have them both. Tell Grandfather and Grandmother that I will write to them soon excuse the blot, write soon.

                                                                                                Your aff brother

                                                                                                George

Courtesy of the Davenport Historical Association, Davenport, NY, 13750. Over 500 letters from the Ferguson and Jayne families, most dating from the mid-nineteenth century, are available from the Davenport Historical Society in The Ferguson-Jayne Papers, 1826 - 1938, edited by Mary S. Briggs. Transcribed for this web site by Margaret Monaco. All misspellings have been carefully preserved.